Mets bench coach Acta pulls out of A's manager search

OAKLAND, Calif. -- New York Mets bench coach Manny Acta has
withdrawn his name from consideration for the manager's job with
Oakland, where A's bench coach Bob Geren is still a favorite to be
hired.

Acta, who had been scheduled to interview on Sunday, is also a
candidate to take over the Washington Nationals. He interviewed in
Washington last month.

Geren, the first candidate to interview about becoming Ken
Macha's successor, met for 3½ hours with general manager and
longtime friend Billy Beane and other team officials Oct. 30.

Geren, who has the most extensive managerial experience in the
minor leagues and internationally of the candidates, said Friday he
hasn't yet heard back from Beane.

"I don't know anything. I wish I did," Geren said in a phone
interview. "I've been going about my normal duties and enjoying
being home. I'm watching my son play football and will watch both
kids' baseball games this weekend."

The A's likely will introduce their new manager next week --
perhaps as soon as Wednesday -- after the club officially announces
Tuesday its plans to build a stadium in Fremont, about 25 miles
south of its current home in the Oakland Coliseum.

Acta was the last candidate scheduled to interview with Oakland.
Beane already has talked with six other candidates, including two
who have taken other jobs.

Longtime Oakland third-base coach Ron Washington was hired
Monday to manage the Texas Rangers, and former Angels pitching
coach Bud Black was hired as skipper of the San Diego Padres.

Beane fired Macha on Oct. 16, two days after Oakland's season
ended in a sweep by the wild-card Detroit Tigers in the AL
championship series. The A's won a playoff series for the first
time since 1990, ending a string of four straight first-round exits
from 2000-03.